Brassiere



19, 1950 A AL 2,534,721

BRASSIEIRES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1947 INVENTOYR LILLIAN M. MARS HALL BY i ATTORNE 5 Dec. 19, 1950 L. M. MARSHALL BRASSIEYRES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1947 INVENTOR M. MARS HAL. L

LILLIAN M/ QM ATTORNEYS Patented Der:a 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,534,721 BRAssIERE Lillian Marsden Marshall, Scarsdale, N. Y. Application June 18, 1947, Serial No. 755,425

(will. 128 280) '7 Glaims.

The invention relates to improvements in the construction of brassieres and has particular reference to a brassiere adapted and arranged for the use of nursing'mothers.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a nursing brassiere which is made with an outer breast covering portion comprised of a suitable lig-htwveight fabric material and with a removable inner breast supporting portion, constructed of a soft, washable and absorbent fabric material, and which is adapted to prevent excretions from the breasts coming in contact with and soiling the outer breast covering portion or other outer garments.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nursing brassiere having a breast covering and supporting means which may be readily detached from the brassiere for cleaning, and without the necessity of removing the entire brassire from the wearer thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a nursing vbrassiere construction wherein the outer breast covering portion thereof may be readily and quickly opened up for exposure of the breasts.

A further object is the provision of novel means for detachably securing the inner breast supporting portion in place with respect to the brassiere and so that it will be resiliently positioned over the breasts of the wearer of the brassiere.

A further object is the provision of a removable breast supporting member for a brassiere which may be beneficially used with brassiere constructions other than those particularly designed for nursing purposes.

Many other advantages of the brassiere constructicn of the invention will be apparent from the folowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective .rear view of a brasslre made in accordance with my invention and with portions thereof shown broken away to more clearly indicate the construction of certain parts thereof;

Figure 2 a front elevation of the removable breast supporting portion of the brassiere con struction and showing the same in position on a wearer oi the brassiere, the figure also indicating in dotted lines the position of the entire brassiere when on the wearer;

Figure 3 is a detail View of a portion of the interior of the brassiere construction and showing one of the means employed for detachably 2 securing the inner breast supporting portion to the brassiere;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front of the brassiere as it would appear when it is being worn;

Figure 5 is a partial front view of a modified form of construction of the outer breast covering portion which may be used in carrying out the invention, and showing a partthereof broken away to indicate the means used for detachably securing the outer breast covering portions together; and

Figure 6 is a detail view showing a modified arrangement for attaching the shoulder straps of the brassiere to the breast covering portions.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the brassiere construction of my invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, is provided with an outer breast covering portion comprised of two pocket-shaped members I and 2. Each of these pocket-shaped members is .made of two pieces of a suitab e light-weight fabric material, which may be water-proofed, if desired, .or may be made of two pieces of material, such as nylon, each of which is lined with a moisture-proof material. The two pieces of material are sewed together along the lines indicated at .3 in Figures 1 and i and so as to form the same into loose pocketshaped coverings for the breasts. These pocketshaped coverings are also provided with a fabric reinforcing band t, which is sewed to the lower edges thereof. The inner edges of the pocketshaped members of the outer breast covering portion are adapted to be detachably secured together by suitable means, such as hooks and eyes, indicated at i and 8. In order that there may be provided a lateral adjustment of the pocket-shaped members with respect to each other, the pocket member is formed with an extension flap i! to which is attached two spaced rows of the eyelets 8, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

The outer ends, It and H, of the outer breast covering portion are sewed to the back bands i2 and E3 of the brassiere construction, and said back bands are adapted to extend around the sides to the back and conform to the sides and back substantially at an elevation just below the breasts of the wearer of the brassiere. The outer ends it and iii of the back bands are secured together by the elastic webbing indicated at it and ii. The back bands are also connected together by the fabric band t which is secured alon their lower edges.

Each of the outer breast covering pocketshaped members I and 2, at its upper portion, is cut so as to provide the flap pieces I3 and 20, which may be opened outwardly for exposure of the breast when a nursing operation is to be performed. The flaps l9 and are normally held in attached position with respect to each other by suitable closure means, such, for instance, as the snap fasteners indicated at 2|.

For supporting and holding the brassiere and the outer breast covering portions thereof in position on the wearer, there are provided the shoulder straps 22 and 23. The shoulder straps have their rear ends attached to tabs 24 and 25, which are sewed to the back bands 12 and I3, and have their front ends slidably attached to tabs 26 and 26' which have one end thereof secured to the flap portions 19 of the breast pocket members l and 2 and the other end detachably secured to a suitable attaching means, indicated at 21, which is secured to a tab 28 which in turn is sewed to the other flap portions of said breast covering pocket members.

The brassiere construction is also provided with the removable breast supporting; portions which are indicated generally in the drawings by the numeral 29. These breast supporting portions may be made of any suitable soft, moisture absorbing fabric material which will be comfortable when applied over the breasts. The general formation and construction of the removable breast supporting portions is most clearly indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings. It will be noted in this figure that the removable breast supporting portion is made with two spaced breast receiving members 39 and 31, which are joined together at their lower edges by a fabric band 32. The breast receiving members are formed so that they are provided with the breast covering portions 33 and 34 and the center, circular, pointed, cupped portions 35 and 36 which are sewed around a circular opening provided in the outer breast covering portion 33 and 36. The pointed cupped construction of the center circular portion 35 and 36 may be produced by providing a slit in a circular piece of the fabric and then overlapping the edges of the slit and sewing the same along the lines 36' and 3'5. At the outer ends of the fabric band 32, which joins the breast receiving members 30 and 3f together, there are secured the looped elastic tabs 38 and 39 which are adapted to be detachably connected to the fastening members 31, secured to the elastic tabs 38, which in turn are sewed to the outer ends; l8 and l I of the outer breast covering portion.

In Figure 5 of the drawings there is shown a brassiere construction made in accordance with my invention and wherein the outer breast cover ing portion 4 thereof is made of one piece of fabric material which is shaped by darts at its lower portion. The outer breast covering portions of this construction are also provided with a slitted upper portion providing the two flaps M and 44 which may be secured together by means of snap fasteners 43 and opened up to expose the breasts when a nursing operation is to be performed.

In Figure 6 a modification of the method of attaching the shoulder straps 22 and 23 to the front portion of the brassiere construction is shown. In the strap construction shown in this figure, it will be noted that the front ends of the shoulder straps are arranged so that they will be attached to the tabs 26 in a similar manner to that shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, but in add t on there is provided another tab 44' which is detachably secured to a tab 45 sewed to the top edge of the inner pocket-shaped breast receiving members 253. In thus attaching the shoulder straps to both the outer breast covering portions l and 2, as well as to the inner pocket-shaped breast receiving members 29, the said straps will serve to both support and hold the outer and inner breast receiving portions of the brassiere in place over the breasts.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the brassire construction of my invention may be worn and used in the following manner. When the brassiere is to be worn, the outer breast covering portions thereof are separated from each other by unhooking the hooks l from the eyes 8, and the shoulder straps 22 and 23 are then placed over the shoulders of the wearer and attaching means 2'! secured to the tabs 28. The inner breast supporting member is then positioned over the breasts and the end loops 38 01' 39 thereof are secured to the attaching means carried by the elastic tabs 38. The inner breast supporting member will thus provide a soft, resiliently-held support for the breasts which will hold the same firmly in place. The outer breast covering portions l and 2 are then attached together, at their center portions, by means of the hooks and eyes i and 8. When it is desired to perform a nursing operation, either breast of the wearer of the brassiere may be quickly exposed by unloosening the shoulder strap over the particular breast and then detaching the flaps i9 and 20, and removing the breast from under the resiliently-held breast supporting member.

If, at any time, it is desired to entirely remove the inner breast supporting member for cleaning purposes and to substitute a clean breast supporting member in place thereof, it may be easily detached, without removing the brassiere from the wearer, by simply unhooking the looped tabs 38 or 33 from the hooking members 3? which are attached to the elastic tabs 38.

Although the brassiere construction shown herein has been described as particularly adapted for use by nursing mothers, it also may be used as an ordinary brassiere, or as a brassire to be worn during medical treatment of the breasts, and the removable inner breast supporting member provides the brassiere with a particularly advantageous sanitary feature not present in usual brassire constructions.

I am aware that many changes in the details of construction and relative arrangement of parts will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the exact details by way of illustration, but rather to the spirit and scope of my invention as I define it in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a brassiere construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions detachably secured to gether, a fabric band to which said outer portions are attached at their sides, said fabric band being adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, and inner removable breast supporting members joined together at their lower edges by a fabric band, said band being detachable and resiliently connected to the outer ends of said outer breast covering portions by an elastic member secured to the outer breast covering portions and detachably secured to the outer ends of the inner removable breast supporting members and resiliently held in position over the breasts and under the outer breast covering portions by said resilient connection.

2. In a brassiere construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions detachably secured together, a fabric band to which said outer portions are attached at their sides, said fabric band adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, means for adjusting the position of the breast covering portions with respect to each other, inner removable breast supporting members formed with breast receiving pockets joined together at their lower edges by a fabric band, said band being detachable and resiliently connected to the outer ends of said outer breast covering portions by an elastic member secured to the outer breast covering portions and detachably secured to the outer ends of the inner removable breast supporting members, resiliently held in contact with the breasts and under said outer breast covering portions.

3. In a brassiere construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions detachably secured together, a fabric band to which said outer portions are attached at their sides, said fabric band being adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, each of said breast covering portions being provided with cuts therein forming flaps permitting ready opening of a substantial portion thereof, and provided with detachable means for holding the said flaps normally in breast receiving conformation, and separate removable inner breast supporting members joined together at their lower edges by a fabric band, said band being detachable and resiliently connected to the outer ends of said outer breast covering portions by an elastic member secured to the outer breast covering portions and detachably secured to the outer ends of the inner removable breast supporting members and adapted to be resiliently positioned and held over the breasts and under the outer breast covering portions by said resilient connection.

4. In a brassiere construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions detachably secured together, a fabric band to which said outer portions are attached at their sides, said fabric band being adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, inner breast supporting members formed with breast receiving pockets formed together at their lower edges by a fabric band which has its outer ends detachably and resiliently connected to the outer ends of said breast covering portions and adapted to be resiliently positioned and held I over the breasts and under the breast covering portions by said resilient connection, and a pair of shoulder straps each having one of its ends attached to the fabric band at the rear portion of the brassiere, and the other end attached to attaching means secured to the top portions of one of the outer breast portions and to one of the breast receiving pockets of the inner breast supporting member.

5. In a brassiere construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions detachably secured together and each secured at its side edge to a fabric band adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, a pair of shoulder straps each having one end thereof secured to the band at the back portion of the brassire and the other end adjustably attached to one of the outer breast covering portions, a separate removable inner breast. supporting member formed with breast receiving pockets connected together at their lower ends by a fabric band, and means secured to the ends of said breast supporting fabric band and to the inner face of said brassiere construction for detachably and resiliently securing said breast supporting member over the breasts and under said outer breast covering portions.

6. In a brassire construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions provided with detachable means for adjustably positioning and securing each breast covering portion together with respect to each other, cuts provided in each of said outer breast covering portions forming flaps adapted to be opened up to expose the breasts, detachable means for normally holding said flaps together in breast covering position, fabric bands secured to the side portions of said outer breast covering portions and adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, a pair of shoulder straps each having one end thereof secured to the fabric band at the back portion of the brassiere and the other end adjustably attached to the upper edge of the flap portions of the breast covering portions, a separate inner removable breast supporting member formed with spaced breast receiving pockets and adapted to be positioned over the breasts of the wearer of the brassiere and under the outer breast covering portions, and securing means attached to elastic tabs sewed to the inner face of the brassiere construction and at the ends of said outer breast covering portion for resiliently and detachably holding said breast supporting member in contact with the breasts and under said outer breast covering portions.

'7. In a brassire construction, a pair of outer breast covering portions made of a light waterproofed fabric material detachably secured together, a fabric band to which said outer portions are attached at their sides, said fabric band being adapted to extend around the body of the wearer, cuts provided in the upper portion of said breast covering portions forming flaps adapted to be opened up to expose the breasts, detachable means for normally holding said flaps together in breast covering position, an inner removable breast supporting member made of a soft moisture absorbing fabric material and formed with spaced breast receiving pockets having their lower edges joined together by a fabric band which has its outer ends detachably and resiliently secured to the outer ends of said outer breast covering portions so that said breast supporting pockets will be positioned over the breasts and under the outer breast covering portions, and a pair of shoulder straps each having one end thereof secured to the fabric band at the back portion of the brassire and the other end adjustably attached to the upper edge of the flap portions of the breast covering portions and to the spaced breast receivingpockets of the breast supporting member.

LILLIAN MARSDEN MARSHALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,590,693 McKeefrey June 29, 1926 1,956,250 Rosenthal Apr. 24, 1934 1,979,576 Rosenthal Nov. 6, 1934 1,989,382 Schnaittacher Jan. 29, 1935 2,141,408 Rosenthal Dec. 2'7, 1938 2,359,804 Struther Oct. 10, 1944 

